Centerpiece of remodeled LAX terminal named for Villaraigosa

Bradley concessions unveiled

Christina House / Los Angeles Times

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, right, and City Councilman Tom LaBonge last December unveiled more than 50 dining and luxury retail outlets coming to the renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal as part of a $1.7-billion upgrade of the facility.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, right, and City Councilman Tom LaBonge last December unveiled more than 50 dining and luxury retail outlets coming to the renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal as part of a $1.7-billion upgrade of the facility. (Christina House / Los Angeles Times)

By Dan Weikel

The centerpiece of the modernized Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles Airport will be named in honor of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa because of his contributions to airport development.

The city's Board of Airport Commissioners decided Tuesday that the cavernous Great Hall in the center of the expanded Bradley terminal will carry Villaraigosa's name.

Commissioners noted that the mayor, who leaves office June 30, played a pivotal role in settling a 2006 lawsuit brought by a coalition of cities and neighborhood groups that challenged plans to modernize the airport, the third busiest in the nation.

The agreement ushered in a number of important development projects, including a new central utility plant, improvements to taxiways and the expansion of the Bradley with new concourses and upscale concession areas.

More recently, the commission and City Council approved another $4.75 billion in projects to add terminal space, a consolidated car rental facility, a transportation center and links to light rail lines. The list includes a controversial plan to move the northernmost runway at LAX 260 feet closer to neighborhoods in Westchester and Playa del Rey.